Nothing new honestly. DTTI is more than 5 years old. Its so far a failure lets hope something has changed.
US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative
US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative
Indeed. The initial projects under DTTI, announced with much fanfare, never went anywhere. But this time it seems the projects, at least a few short term ones, have taken off ground. Whether they actually go anywhere remains to be seen, but unlike the last time there has been some movement on the ground. Short term projects are supposed to take off for good within the next 6 months or so. Let's see.
My bet is on ISTAR to go through first. It's already a matured product with current customers.
Yep, totally agree. In fact Livefist reported in Feb that CABS is already working on sensors, comms of the ISTAR aircraft along with the Americans. Total 5 will be acquired, first one will be off the shelf and the others will have Indian sensors, comms etc tech on the aircraft.
I really want the LSAT to go through. It can help us sort through the muddle that is small arms procurement in India. But I understand its still in prototype testing phase.
The drone swarms tech is also in prototype testing phase. S. Jha recently revealed that the first prototype tests of the CATS have begun. Apparently IAF carried out some tests in Pokhran ranges. It wasn't just flight tests, it involved target acquisition and warhead detonation too. Now we have this Ellen Lord lady telling us how India has small companies with the tech for creating drone swarms. I wonder how/what she knows about some small obscure Indian start up.
In pics: Sanjay Jaju (@sjaju1), Joint Secy, Defence Production India (@DefProdnIndia), Col Arvind Kumar, Program Director reviewing "See Through Armor" program with our team. We were awarded @India_iDEX grant this yr for innovative situational awareness solution for armored vehicles.
Credit : Kunal Biswas on D. F. I.
Upgraded Schilka of the IA :
BEL poster showing details about the upgrade :
Credit : P_K on D. F. I. :
"First publicly available picture of a upgraded schilka with mounted Igla manpads.
1 Igla manpads on either side on a rotatable/tilting mount "
Seems IAI was the design authority for the EO system, while BELwas the manufacturer :
https://www.iai.co.il/p/schilka
This was displayed in Aero India-19 :
Upgraded Schilka of the IA :
BEL poster showing details about the upgrade :
Credit : P_K on D. F. I. :
"First publicly available picture of a upgraded schilka with mounted Igla manpads.
1 Igla manpads on either side on a rotatable/tilting mount "
Seems IAI was the design authority for the EO system, while BELwas the manufacturer :
https://www.iai.co.il/p/schilka
This was displayed in Aero India-19 :
Copter project at Honda to get off the ground
November 9, 2019
NT NETWORK
Panaji
The long-awaited Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s helicopter maintenance and overhaul project proposed at Honda in Sattari taluka will get off the ground as French company Safran (the joint-venture partner) on Friday announced the start of construction work for building premises in three months’ time.
Officials of Safran and HAL said the greenfield project over 1,000 sq. mtr of area at the Honda industrial estate will be ready for commissioning by June 2021 and will go in for expansion in capacity by 2025.
“We believe in local talent. The project will employ Goans who will be sent to France for training, and it will create employment for the state,” said the officials of both the companies.
The officials disclosed that designing of the plant facility is complete and recruitment will commence shortly. They said that both the Goa IDC and the Goa Investment Promotion Board have played a role in putting the project back on track.
The announcement was made at the Indo-French conclave held in Candolim, which was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Consul General of France in Mumbai Sonia Barbry, senior French embassy officials, representatives of French companies in India and members of the Goan industry.
The project had been announced in 2016 by Manohar Parrikar during his tenure as defence minister. Thanks to being dormant for several years, it had been feared that the project would not take off in the state.
Representatives of about 80 Indo-French companies participated in the conclave which resulted in signing of letters of intent by about six companies.
The conclave focused on investments in shipping and logistics, aerospace, defence and green technology for smart buildings.
Promising all support to French companies seeking collaborations with Goan companies, the Chief Minister said the state’s infrastructure is set to improve due to the Mopa airport.
He added that the IPB has also been streamlined now and would give single-window clearance in 30 days time.
Barbry struck the right chord with members of the Goan industry when she started her speech in Hindi.
“France loves Goa,” the Consul General said, adding that her country had close ties with the state in naval operations and with the Goa University.
France also takes active part in the annual Serendipity festival in the state, she said, adding that India can count on support from France through the French embassy.
There are about 550 Indo-French companies currently operating across India, of which handful are in Goa. These includes pharma player Sanofi, Accor Hotel, KIneco-Kaman, Albea, etc., it was revealed at the conclave.
Copter project at Honda to get off the ground – The Navhind Times
November 9, 2019
NT NETWORK
Panaji
The long-awaited Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s helicopter maintenance and overhaul project proposed at Honda in Sattari taluka will get off the ground as French company Safran (the joint-venture partner) on Friday announced the start of construction work for building premises in three months’ time.
Officials of Safran and HAL said the greenfield project over 1,000 sq. mtr of area at the Honda industrial estate will be ready for commissioning by June 2021 and will go in for expansion in capacity by 2025.
“We believe in local talent. The project will employ Goans who will be sent to France for training, and it will create employment for the state,” said the officials of both the companies.
The officials disclosed that designing of the plant facility is complete and recruitment will commence shortly. They said that both the Goa IDC and the Goa Investment Promotion Board have played a role in putting the project back on track.
The announcement was made at the Indo-French conclave held in Candolim, which was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Consul General of France in Mumbai Sonia Barbry, senior French embassy officials, representatives of French companies in India and members of the Goan industry.
The project had been announced in 2016 by Manohar Parrikar during his tenure as defence minister. Thanks to being dormant for several years, it had been feared that the project would not take off in the state.
Representatives of about 80 Indo-French companies participated in the conclave which resulted in signing of letters of intent by about six companies.
The conclave focused on investments in shipping and logistics, aerospace, defence and green technology for smart buildings.
Promising all support to French companies seeking collaborations with Goan companies, the Chief Minister said the state’s infrastructure is set to improve due to the Mopa airport.
He added that the IPB has also been streamlined now and would give single-window clearance in 30 days time.
Barbry struck the right chord with members of the Goan industry when she started her speech in Hindi.
“France loves Goa,” the Consul General said, adding that her country had close ties with the state in naval operations and with the Goa University.
France also takes active part in the annual Serendipity festival in the state, she said, adding that India can count on support from France through the French embassy.
There are about 550 Indo-French companies currently operating across India, of which handful are in Goa. These includes pharma player Sanofi, Accor Hotel, KIneco-Kaman, Albea, etc., it was revealed at the conclave.
Copter project at Honda to get off the ground – The Navhind Times
HSL completes refit of torpedo launch vessel ahead of schedule
VISAKHAPATNAM, November 05, 2019 00:23 IST
INS Astradharini(Source : www.wikipedia.com)
Hindustan Shipyard Ltd achieved another milestone in ship repair capability by completing the maiden refit of INS Astradharini, a torpedo launch and recovery vessel of Indian Navy, two weeks ahead of contractual refit completion date, the company declared on Monday. Rear Admiral L.V. Sarat Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, informed that it was for the first time that HSL docked a twin hull catamaran design vessel.
The bid for the refit was won by HSL on competitive basis and refit commenced from August 16, 2019. HSL has undertaken all jobs on a war-footing along with Patel Engineering works as prime contractor, and the refit was completed ahead of schedule with the active support of Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
He added that it was for the first time that majority of the works had been undertaken by MSMEs. He said that for consolidation of expertise developed both in HSL and in associated industries, continuity of orders would be essential.
He said HSL would also be bidding for medium refit life certification for the fourth naval EKM submarine, post-resolution of some long-pending technology transfer issues.
HSL completes refit of torpedo launch vessel ahead of schedule
VISAKHAPATNAM, November 05, 2019 00:23 IST
INS Astradharini(Source : www.wikipedia.com)
Hindustan Shipyard Ltd achieved another milestone in ship repair capability by completing the maiden refit of INS Astradharini, a torpedo launch and recovery vessel of Indian Navy, two weeks ahead of contractual refit completion date, the company declared on Monday. Rear Admiral L.V. Sarat Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, informed that it was for the first time that HSL docked a twin hull catamaran design vessel.
The bid for the refit was won by HSL on competitive basis and refit commenced from August 16, 2019. HSL has undertaken all jobs on a war-footing along with Patel Engineering works as prime contractor, and the refit was completed ahead of schedule with the active support of Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
He added that it was for the first time that majority of the works had been undertaken by MSMEs. He said that for consolidation of expertise developed both in HSL and in associated industries, continuity of orders would be essential.
He said HSL would also be bidding for medium refit life certification for the fourth naval EKM submarine, post-resolution of some long-pending technology transfer issues.
HSL completes refit of torpedo launch vessel ahead of schedule
Amiet R. Kashyap (@Amitraaz) Tweeted:
Kalyani Group's Artillery Guns
Bharat 52, 155/52mm,15ton
Bharat 45, 155/45mm
Garuda105, 105/39mm, 0.94ton
Ultra-Light Howitzer (ULH): 155/39mm
ULH-i: Conventional Recoil, 4.8Ton
ULH-II: Hybrid Recoil, 4.5T
Steel ULH: 6 ton and
by KSSL+DRDO: ATAGS Amiet R. Kashyap on Twitter (
)
Amiet R. Kashyap (@Amitraaz) Tweeted:
@BharatForgeLtd @DRDO_India @DefenceMinIndia RANGES:
Bharat 52: 42km
Bharat 45: 39km
Garuda105: 25-30km
Ultra-Light Howitzer (ULH): 35-40km
KSSL+DRDO: ATAGS: 42km max: 48km with normal ammu (
)
Kalyani Group's Artillery Guns
Bharat 52, 155/52mm,15tonBharat 45, 155/45mmGaruda105, 105/39mm, 0.94tonUltra-Light Howitzer (ULH): 155/39mmULH-i: Conventional Recoil, 4.8Ton
ULH-II: Hybrid Recoil, 4.5T
Steel ULH: 6 ton andby KSSL+DRDO: ATAGS Amiet R. Kashyap on Twitter (
)Amiet R. Kashyap (@Amitraaz) Tweeted:
@BharatForgeLtd @DRDO_India @DefenceMinIndia RANGES:
Bharat 52: 42kmBharat 45: 39kmGaruda105: 25-30kmUltra-Light Howitzer (ULH): 35-40kmKSSL+DRDO: ATAGS: 42km max: 48km with normal ammu (
)
Eaton opens its first aerospace manufacturing facility in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Power management company Eaton opened its first manufacturing facility in India in Bengaluru following demand from its main customers Boeing and Airbus to make fluid conveyance products locally and cater to the growing aircraft fleet in the country. Eaton has invested $ 10 million in the facility and plans to have a workforce of around 100 people in the first phase.
These products - critical for movement of parts such as wing flaps, suffer from wear and tear over a period of time. Eaton looks at producing the equipment to ensure that there is adequate supply when planes undergo maintanence, servicing and overhaul. India has around 650 planes, with over 500 of them being single aisle Airbus 320 and Boeing's 737 plane.
The new facility, located close to the airport in Bengaluru, will manufacture hose assemblies and other fluid distribution products, including oil debris monitoring systems, to serve commercial, business and regional aircraft.
“We believe this investment in India will help us grow our original equipment business because customers are investing heavily here. The site will leverage smart manufacturing technologies and contribute to local growth through employment, business and sourcing opportunities,” said Nanda Kumar, president, Aerospace Group, Eaton.
Eaton is also looking at India as a base to produce these equipment for the global market. The company has an existing design centre in Pune with over 1,000 people.
The facility, which will serve as the Hose Assembly Center of Excellence for Eaton’s global operations, is built in a record 10-month period at the 2.85 acres of land at the Karnataka Aerospace special economic zone (SEZ). The company representatives appreciated the support of state government while dealing with the project.
“The Aerospace SEZ is fast emerging as a major aerospace manufacturing hub,” said Kumar. “We see significant opportunity to localize the supply chain and have already established a strong supplier base. In addition, Bengaluru’s scientific and academic institutions have helped create a rich talent pool of well-qualified technical experts.”
With the opening of Bengaluru facility, Eaton now operates 27 aerospace manufacturinglocations around the world, including a joint venture in China.
In the aerospace industry, Eaton is a leading supplier of products and technologies forhydraulic systems, fuel and inerting systems, motion control and engine solutions. The company also serves commercial and military aerospace, marine and defence markets worldwide.
Eaton opens its first aerospace manufacturing facility in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Power management company Eaton opened its first manufacturing facility in India in Bengaluru following demand from its main customers Boeing and Airbus to make fluid conveyance products locally and cater to the growing aircraft fleet in the country. Eaton has invested $ 10 million in the facility and plans to have a workforce of around 100 people in the first phase.
These products - critical for movement of parts such as wing flaps, suffer from wear and tear over a period of time. Eaton looks at producing the equipment to ensure that there is adequate supply when planes undergo maintanence, servicing and overhaul. India has around 650 planes, with over 500 of them being single aisle Airbus 320 and Boeing's 737 plane.
The new facility, located close to the airport in Bengaluru, will manufacture hose assemblies and other fluid distribution products, including oil debris monitoring systems, to serve commercial, business and regional aircraft.
“We believe this investment in India will help us grow our original equipment business because customers are investing heavily here. The site will leverage smart manufacturing technologies and contribute to local growth through employment, business and sourcing opportunities,” said Nanda Kumar, president, Aerospace Group, Eaton.
Eaton is also looking at India as a base to produce these equipment for the global market. The company has an existing design centre in Pune with over 1,000 people.
The facility, which will serve as the Hose Assembly Center of Excellence for Eaton’s global operations, is built in a record 10-month period at the 2.85 acres of land at the Karnataka Aerospace special economic zone (SEZ). The company representatives appreciated the support of state government while dealing with the project.
“The Aerospace SEZ is fast emerging as a major aerospace manufacturing hub,” said Kumar. “We see significant opportunity to localize the supply chain and have already established a strong supplier base. In addition, Bengaluru’s scientific and academic institutions have helped create a rich talent pool of well-qualified technical experts.”
With the opening of Bengaluru facility, Eaton now operates 27 aerospace manufacturinglocations around the world, including a joint venture in China.
In the aerospace industry, Eaton is a leading supplier of products and technologies forhydraulic systems, fuel and inerting systems, motion control and engine solutions. The company also serves commercial and military aerospace, marine and defence markets worldwide.
Eaton opens its first aerospace manufacturing facility in Bengaluru
500 crore defence ministry plan to finance 250 startups
By TNN
Updated: Nov 12, 2019, 5:08 IST.
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has finalised a Rs 500 crore plan to fund 250 startups and achieve 50 tangible innovations over the next five years as part of the overall policy to boost ‘Make in India’ in the arms production arena.
With the MoD now seeking the requisite approvals for the Rs 500 crore plan, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday emphasised the importance of “ideation, innovation and incubation” in cutting-edge technologies to achieve the goal of indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.
Addressing the “Def-Connect 2019” seminar on the iDEX (innovations for defence excellence) initiative of the MoD, the minister said it was crucial for India to strengthen its defence manufacturing as well as research and development. He expressed confidence India will emerge as “a net innovator and net exporter of defence technologies rather than a net importer” in the years ahead.
Singh, however, was quite sanguine. “Our PM Narendra Modi has set a target of $5 trillion economy by 2024. Looking at the talent India possesses, I am pretty confident that we can become $10 trillion economy in the next 10-15 years,” he said.
500 crore defence ministry plan to finance 250 startups | India News - Times of India
By TNN
Updated: Nov 12, 2019, 5:08 IST.
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has finalised a Rs 500 crore plan to fund 250 startups and achieve 50 tangible innovations over the next five years as part of the overall policy to boost ‘Make in India’ in the arms production arena.
With the MoD now seeking the requisite approvals for the Rs 500 crore plan, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday emphasised the importance of “ideation, innovation and incubation” in cutting-edge technologies to achieve the goal of indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector.
Addressing the “Def-Connect 2019” seminar on the iDEX (innovations for defence excellence) initiative of the MoD, the minister said it was crucial for India to strengthen its defence manufacturing as well as research and development. He expressed confidence India will emerge as “a net innovator and net exporter of defence technologies rather than a net importer” in the years ahead.
Singh, however, was quite sanguine. “Our PM Narendra Modi has set a target of $5 trillion economy by 2024. Looking at the talent India possesses, I am pretty confident that we can become $10 trillion economy in the next 10-15 years,” he said.
500 crore defence ministry plan to finance 250 startups | India News - Times of India
From the recent IDEX event :
A RC Buoy probably being pitched to the Navy.
The website of the manufacturer : Products – Saif Seas
And what looks like a target drone :
A RC Buoy probably being pitched to the Navy.
The website of the manufacturer : Products – Saif Seas
And what looks like a target drone :
The Man Supplying India's Defense Forces Sees Sharp Gain in Wealth.
By Megha Bahree
Karan Nevatia for Forbes Asia
Satyanarayan Nuwal has accomplished many things in his long career, among them creating India’s largest maker of explosives(by revenue) and the first private supplier of explosives for warheads. He has also hit another milestone, as the 73% stake that he and his family hold in Solar Industries India, the company he founded in 1983, rose to be worth $1 billion.
Solar Industries’ shares have been a strong performer on the Bombay Stock Exchange for the last five years, up fivefold to a recent price around 1,000 rupees. The company now sports a market capitalization of $1.4 billion. The company also featured in Forbes Asia’s list of 200 Best Under A Billion companies in 2019 and previously in 2010. Solar sells its products in 51 countries and has four overseas factories in Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey and Zambia. Two more are expected to come online this year in Australia and Ghana. Over the past year, Solar’s shares have risen 9% on the back of a 28% increase in revenue to 25 billion rupees ($354 million) in the year ending in March, and a 19% rise in net profit to 2.6 billion rupees.
A native of a village in India’s western state of Rajasthan, Nuwal dropped out of school after 10th grade. He set up his first business to make ink in 1970 at age 18. It failed and he spent the next several years trying his hand at different ventures, including a leasing business and a transport company. All failed. In the late 1970s he moved to Maharashtra state in western India to work with a relative, sleeping in a railway station because he couldn’t afford an apartment.
He finally got a break a few months later when he got a license to trade explosives, and a warehouse to store them, paying a monthly fee of 1,000 rupees to the license holder. He spent the next several years supplying explosives to state-owned coal mines and as a consignment agent for chemical company ICI. Yet things were rough, money was tight, and Nuwal’s son Manish recalls his mother mortgaging her jewelry to raise funds to survive.
Karan Nevatia for Forbes Asia
By the mid-1990s, competition had picked up as several companies had come in as consignment agents. With margins getting squeezed, Nuwal decided it was time to go beyond trading and start manufacturing explosives. In 1996, he started modestly, first as an explosives trading business and a year later set up a small plant to manufacture explosives. Selling them to clients in mining, construction and infrastructure. His single biggest client over the years has been India’s state-controlled Coal India.
By 2006, Nuwal was ready to IPO, and used the money for expansion, building 13 plants in India. In 2010, Solar was the first private company to get a license from the Indian government to make explosives for warheads for India’s defense forces. “The government had never thought that the private sector in India could produce ammunition,” says Nuwal. “But I was very confident.”
In the past year, Solar has received orders to make propellants for the Akash missile, a medium-range surface-to-air missile, and the Pinaka, a multiple rocket launcher, used by the country’s defense forces, as well as for pyrotechnics, which help initiate the explosion, and igniters, which provide the spark for the ammunition. It has also received a trial order for propellants for the BrahMos cruise missile, a medium-range missile that can be fired from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. Its current order book totals 4 billion rupees. In the latest financial year, defense-related sales accounted for about 1.7 billion rupees, a four-fold increase from the previous year. Although still only about 7% of total revenues, the defense business is Solar’s fastest-growing segment.
Nuwal firmly believes that India can cut its dependence on imported defense equipment. He wants to convince the government that the private sector is capable of providing quality ammunition at a competitive price and in a timely manner. For the ten years to 2018, India has ranked as either the world’s largest or second-largest importer of defense equipment by expenditure, as ranked by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Last year India spent $66.5 billion on military expenses.
The majority of the defense equipment that India gets locally supplied comes from nine state-owned companies and 40 ordnance factories under the Ministry of Defense. Nuwal would like to alter this system. “I decided, even if we achieve nothing else [in terms of business from the government], we need to change their mindset,” and show that India’s private sector is capable of providing quality products at a reasonable price, says Nuwal.
It was not easy—he had to set up new facilities and hire experts without any guarantee of winning a government contract. He started with an investment of about 600 million rupees in the facilities before receiving his first order. “They’ve got excellent facilities and found the right skills in good people,” says KV Kuber, director, aerospace and defense at EY in India. “They’ve created indigenous technology.”
With Solar paving the way, a handful of other private companies are now entering the sector. But Solar has first-mover advantage, says Santosh Yellapu, a defense analyst at Mumbai-based IndiaNivesh Securities. “They are well prepared to get all approvals. They know how the defense ecosystem works, how the files move from one table to the next,” he says. When asked about the prospects for the defense business, Nuwal says simply: “There is no reason for us to be stopped.”
The Man Supplying India's Defence Forces Sees Sharp Gain in Wealth
By Megha Bahree
Karan Nevatia for Forbes Asia
Satyanarayan Nuwal has accomplished many things in his long career, among them creating India’s largest maker of explosives(by revenue) and the first private supplier of explosives for warheads. He has also hit another milestone, as the 73% stake that he and his family hold in Solar Industries India, the company he founded in 1983, rose to be worth $1 billion.
Solar Industries’ shares have been a strong performer on the Bombay Stock Exchange for the last five years, up fivefold to a recent price around 1,000 rupees. The company now sports a market capitalization of $1.4 billion. The company also featured in Forbes Asia’s list of 200 Best Under A Billion companies in 2019 and previously in 2010. Solar sells its products in 51 countries and has four overseas factories in Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey and Zambia. Two more are expected to come online this year in Australia and Ghana. Over the past year, Solar’s shares have risen 9% on the back of a 28% increase in revenue to 25 billion rupees ($354 million) in the year ending in March, and a 19% rise in net profit to 2.6 billion rupees.
A native of a village in India’s western state of Rajasthan, Nuwal dropped out of school after 10th grade. He set up his first business to make ink in 1970 at age 18. It failed and he spent the next several years trying his hand at different ventures, including a leasing business and a transport company. All failed. In the late 1970s he moved to Maharashtra state in western India to work with a relative, sleeping in a railway station because he couldn’t afford an apartment.
He finally got a break a few months later when he got a license to trade explosives, and a warehouse to store them, paying a monthly fee of 1,000 rupees to the license holder. He spent the next several years supplying explosives to state-owned coal mines and as a consignment agent for chemical company ICI. Yet things were rough, money was tight, and Nuwal’s son Manish recalls his mother mortgaging her jewelry to raise funds to survive.
Karan Nevatia for Forbes Asia
By the mid-1990s, competition had picked up as several companies had come in as consignment agents. With margins getting squeezed, Nuwal decided it was time to go beyond trading and start manufacturing explosives. In 1996, he started modestly, first as an explosives trading business and a year later set up a small plant to manufacture explosives. Selling them to clients in mining, construction and infrastructure. His single biggest client over the years has been India’s state-controlled Coal India.
By 2006, Nuwal was ready to IPO, and used the money for expansion, building 13 plants in India. In 2010, Solar was the first private company to get a license from the Indian government to make explosives for warheads for India’s defense forces. “The government had never thought that the private sector in India could produce ammunition,” says Nuwal. “But I was very confident.”
In the past year, Solar has received orders to make propellants for the Akash missile, a medium-range surface-to-air missile, and the Pinaka, a multiple rocket launcher, used by the country’s defense forces, as well as for pyrotechnics, which help initiate the explosion, and igniters, which provide the spark for the ammunition. It has also received a trial order for propellants for the BrahMos cruise missile, a medium-range missile that can be fired from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. Its current order book totals 4 billion rupees. In the latest financial year, defense-related sales accounted for about 1.7 billion rupees, a four-fold increase from the previous year. Although still only about 7% of total revenues, the defense business is Solar’s fastest-growing segment.
Nuwal firmly believes that India can cut its dependence on imported defense equipment. He wants to convince the government that the private sector is capable of providing quality ammunition at a competitive price and in a timely manner. For the ten years to 2018, India has ranked as either the world’s largest or second-largest importer of defense equipment by expenditure, as ranked by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Last year India spent $66.5 billion on military expenses.
The majority of the defense equipment that India gets locally supplied comes from nine state-owned companies and 40 ordnance factories under the Ministry of Defense. Nuwal would like to alter this system. “I decided, even if we achieve nothing else [in terms of business from the government], we need to change their mindset,” and show that India’s private sector is capable of providing quality products at a reasonable price, says Nuwal.
It was not easy—he had to set up new facilities and hire experts without any guarantee of winning a government contract. He started with an investment of about 600 million rupees in the facilities before receiving his first order. “They’ve got excellent facilities and found the right skills in good people,” says KV Kuber, director, aerospace and defense at EY in India. “They’ve created indigenous technology.”
With Solar paving the way, a handful of other private companies are now entering the sector. But Solar has first-mover advantage, says Santosh Yellapu, a defense analyst at Mumbai-based IndiaNivesh Securities. “They are well prepared to get all approvals. They know how the defense ecosystem works, how the files move from one table to the next,” he says. When asked about the prospects for the defense business, Nuwal says simply: “There is no reason for us to be stopped.”
The Man Supplying India's Defence Forces Sees Sharp Gain in Wealth
Robots to help Indian Army fight terror in Kashmir
2 min read . Updated: 13 Nov 2019, 08:42 PM IST
By Sumit Kumar Singh, IANS
Pic : DRDO Daksh Warrior(RUDRA) UGV prototype.
NEW DELHI : From helping in cordon-and-search ops, negotiating obstacles to lobbing grenades at terrorists holed up in buildings, the Indian Army will soon have robots to help it in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of Defence has started the process of procuring around 550 robotics surveillance units with minimum 25 years of service life for counter-insurgency ops in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said on Wednesday.
A senior Indian Army officer told IANS that these robots should be capable of climbing stairs and negotiating obstacles apart from throwing grenades at terrorists in built-up areas. "These robots should be capable enough for water fording with minimum 20-cm depth," the officer said.
During cordon-and-search-operations in the Valley, these robots will be the first line of defence, thus helping prevent casualties. "This would avoid casualty to our own troops during initial breach by terrorists," the officer said.
The ministry has on November 19 called the Indian industries to make representations of their products about robotics surveillance. The ministry is pushing for indigenization to reduce dependence on imports of defence items.
The ministry has initiated the process of procuring on request of the Directorate General of Rashtriya Rifles, the country's premier counterinsurgency force raised on October 1, 1990 when militancy in Jammu and Kahmir was at its peak and the local law enforcement and paramilitary agencies were unable to contain it. The force is exclusively engaged in counter-terror operations in the Valley.
The officer also stated that the robotics surveillance will have the "provision of realtime intelligence inputs for Rashtriya Rifles operations in residential and commercial areas where terrorists are holed up". The force would use these robots in built-up areas -- residential and commercial areas -- for also gathering realtime intelligence inputs prior to movement of troops.
Rashtriya Rifles is also looking for precise delivery of suitable munition through robotics platform during counter-insurgency operations. "The platform must be capable of delivering a suitable munition at the intended target, for example, throwing grenade at places where the terrorists are holed up," the officer said.
These robotics surveillance platforms will comprise a launch unit, surveillance camera to provide input in both day and night mode and transmission system, with range between 150 meters and 200 meters.
"Interestingly, it will help in dynamic realtime monitoring of terrorist activities during operations," the officer said.
Further, it should be light-weight, rugged and portable and at the same time, shockproof to withstand firing or attacks from terrorists.
"It should also transmit visual data to a distance of abut 150-200 meters across four walls, facility to rotate 360 degress and pan and tilt," the officer added.
Robots to help Indian Army fight terror in Kashmir
2 min read . Updated: 13 Nov 2019, 08:42 PM IST
By Sumit Kumar Singh, IANS
- During cordon-and-search-operations in the Valley, these robots will be the first line of defence, thus helping prevent casualties
- The ministry has on November 19 called the Indian industries to make representations of their products about robotics surveillance
Pic : DRDO Daksh Warrior(RUDRA) UGV prototype.
NEW DELHI : From helping in cordon-and-search ops, negotiating obstacles to lobbing grenades at terrorists holed up in buildings, the Indian Army will soon have robots to help it in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of Defence has started the process of procuring around 550 robotics surveillance units with minimum 25 years of service life for counter-insurgency ops in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said on Wednesday.
A senior Indian Army officer told IANS that these robots should be capable of climbing stairs and negotiating obstacles apart from throwing grenades at terrorists in built-up areas. "These robots should be capable enough for water fording with minimum 20-cm depth," the officer said.
During cordon-and-search-operations in the Valley, these robots will be the first line of defence, thus helping prevent casualties. "This would avoid casualty to our own troops during initial breach by terrorists," the officer said.
The ministry has on November 19 called the Indian industries to make representations of their products about robotics surveillance. The ministry is pushing for indigenization to reduce dependence on imports of defence items.
The ministry has initiated the process of procuring on request of the Directorate General of Rashtriya Rifles, the country's premier counterinsurgency force raised on October 1, 1990 when militancy in Jammu and Kahmir was at its peak and the local law enforcement and paramilitary agencies were unable to contain it. The force is exclusively engaged in counter-terror operations in the Valley.
The officer also stated that the robotics surveillance will have the "provision of realtime intelligence inputs for Rashtriya Rifles operations in residential and commercial areas where terrorists are holed up". The force would use these robots in built-up areas -- residential and commercial areas -- for also gathering realtime intelligence inputs prior to movement of troops.
Rashtriya Rifles is also looking for precise delivery of suitable munition through robotics platform during counter-insurgency operations. "The platform must be capable of delivering a suitable munition at the intended target, for example, throwing grenade at places where the terrorists are holed up," the officer said.
These robotics surveillance platforms will comprise a launch unit, surveillance camera to provide input in both day and night mode and transmission system, with range between 150 meters and 200 meters.
"Interestingly, it will help in dynamic realtime monitoring of terrorist activities during operations," the officer said.
Further, it should be light-weight, rugged and portable and at the same time, shockproof to withstand firing or attacks from terrorists.
"It should also transmit visual data to a distance of abut 150-200 meters across four walls, facility to rotate 360 degress and pan and tilt," the officer added.
Robots to help Indian Army fight terror in Kashmir
BEL begins the mission on Masula coast
The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has started the construction of its second Advanced Night Vision Devices unit at Nimmaluru on the Machilipatnam coast, with a target to commission it by 2021. With this, the town will be having two of the BEL’s 10 manufacturing units in the country. When commissioned, the second unit will be the BEL’s largest night vision devices unit in the country.
BEL begins the mission on Masula coast
The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has started the construction of its second Advanced Night Vision Devices unit at Nimmaluru on the Machilipatnam coast, with a target to commission it by 2021. With this, the town will be having two of the BEL’s 10 manufacturing units in the country. When commissioned, the second unit will be the BEL’s largest night vision devices unit in the country.
BEL begins the mission on Masula coast
HAL Struggling with Labor Costs and Disputes
by Neelam Mathews - November 17, 2019, 8:03 PM
Hindustan Aeronautics is ramping up production of the Tejas light combat aircraft.
The strike in October of around 19,000 workers of Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to increase wages has highlighted concerns and issues faced by the government-owned defense manufacturer. And while the high court of the state passed an interim order restraining the Hindustan Aeronautics Employees Association “from continuing their ongoing strike including go-slow, work to rule, or any form of agitation or disrupting day-to-day activities of HAL and its offices in Bengaluru," it seems to have added fuel to the government’s intent to dis-invest the organization.
According to a union leader, HAL lost $8 million a day during the strike period, but this could not be confirmed.
The government is struggling to ease its financial situation, having adopted a program to disinvest many public-sector organizations. Already a decision is close to sell stakes of the mammoth Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL). BEML's defense segment accounted for around 17 percent of the company's overall revenue last year. It also supplies mortar and casing components to the Indian Army and has plans to enter the aerospace sector. Heavy engineering giant BHEL is now looking for larger defense projects including the building of submarines in partnership with other organizations.
HAL needs to be watchful about labor costs, CB Ananthakrishnan, director of finance, cautioned at a press conference following the strike. He added that while orders under negotiation would be sufficient for the company's growth for the next three years, “We need to get more orders to ensure that the workers are not kept idle. Unless we remain competitive…we will not get further orders in the future," he said.
This has direct relevance to the government’s move to encourage private industry to step into the manufacture of defense products, an effort that will need HAL to become more cost-effective and efficient. But for this to happen, payments must come on time, said an official. HAL's major client, the Indian Air Force (IAF), still owes it a large part of $3 billion for past orders that include delivery of aircraft and maintenance.
The IAF had ordered 40 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), of which 16 have been delivered. The Tejas LCA Mk1 FOC fighter version is already under production, and HAL has said it plans to deliver the rest of the FOC fighters progressively, giving March 2021 as a tentative timeline. Some of the improvements include beyond visual range missile capabilities, air-to-air refueling, FOC-earmarked advanced weapons and delivery systems, and flight envelope expansion.
Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria confirmed in October, "We have started building the LCA fleet. We already have a squadron operational and five more will be inducted in the near future."
HAL's Light Combat Helicopter platform has achieved operational clearance for both IAF and the Army variants, and these have successfully completed all development milestones including weapons trials. HAL submitted a bid in March 2018 for a request for proposal for the supply of 15 limited series production helicopters and is awaiting orders for production deliveries/operational induction. Delivery of helicopters, according to HAL, can start within 12 months from the date of signing of the contract by the MoD. There is a projected requirement of more than 160 helicopters and follow-on orders are expected from both the Army and IAF upon completion of the initial lot of 15 production helicopters.
The single-engine, three-ton Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) platform is in the advanced stages of certification, having completed hot-weather trials at Nagpur in 2018, cold-weather trials at Leh in 2019, and sea trials at Chennai in 2018 and at Puducherry in 2019. The LUH is capable of flying at 220 kph, has a service ceiling of 6.5 km and a range of 350 km with a 500 kg payload. LUH demonstrated high-altitude capability in hot and high weather conditions in the Himalayas in trials from August 24 to September 2. Operational clearance is expected in the near future since all major developmental trials have been completed. There is a projected requirement of more than 180 helicopters.
HAL's new helicopter facility in Tumkur is being built on 615 acres. Part of the facility will include manufacture of 200 Kamov 226-T by the Rosoboronexport-Russian Helicopters and HAL joint venture Indo Russian Helicopter. The Ka-226T helicopters are to replace the four-decades-old Chetaks and Cheetahs of the Indian Army and IAF.
A long-term requirement for rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (RUAV) is being addressed by HAL, and a prototype was displayed at Aero India in Bengaluru in February. The 200 kg RUAV is being designed for ISR for the army and Indian navy, which requires 20 units. The RUAV has a service ceiling of 6,000 meters, hover ceiling of 5,000 meters, and a max payload of 40 kg. The two-blade RUAV can fly in fully autonomous mode, including auto takeoff and landing with a return-to-home recovery option.
Moving forward there has been confusion whether HAL will be permitted to join the Strategic Partnership (SP) program, which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, where Indian manufacturers can tie up with global original equipment manufacturers for technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. HAL says it will definitely participate if given the opportunity.
HAL Struggling with Labor Costs and Disputes
by Neelam Mathews - November 17, 2019, 8:03 PM
Hindustan Aeronautics is ramping up production of the Tejas light combat aircraft.
The strike in October of around 19,000 workers of Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to increase wages has highlighted concerns and issues faced by the government-owned defense manufacturer. And while the high court of the state passed an interim order restraining the Hindustan Aeronautics Employees Association “from continuing their ongoing strike including go-slow, work to rule, or any form of agitation or disrupting day-to-day activities of HAL and its offices in Bengaluru," it seems to have added fuel to the government’s intent to dis-invest the organization.
According to a union leader, HAL lost $8 million a day during the strike period, but this could not be confirmed.
The government is struggling to ease its financial situation, having adopted a program to disinvest many public-sector organizations. Already a decision is close to sell stakes of the mammoth Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL). BEML's defense segment accounted for around 17 percent of the company's overall revenue last year. It also supplies mortar and casing components to the Indian Army and has plans to enter the aerospace sector. Heavy engineering giant BHEL is now looking for larger defense projects including the building of submarines in partnership with other organizations.
HAL needs to be watchful about labor costs, CB Ananthakrishnan, director of finance, cautioned at a press conference following the strike. He added that while orders under negotiation would be sufficient for the company's growth for the next three years, “We need to get more orders to ensure that the workers are not kept idle. Unless we remain competitive…we will not get further orders in the future," he said.
This has direct relevance to the government’s move to encourage private industry to step into the manufacture of defense products, an effort that will need HAL to become more cost-effective and efficient. But for this to happen, payments must come on time, said an official. HAL's major client, the Indian Air Force (IAF), still owes it a large part of $3 billion for past orders that include delivery of aircraft and maintenance.
The IAF had ordered 40 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), of which 16 have been delivered. The Tejas LCA Mk1 FOC fighter version is already under production, and HAL has said it plans to deliver the rest of the FOC fighters progressively, giving March 2021 as a tentative timeline. Some of the improvements include beyond visual range missile capabilities, air-to-air refueling, FOC-earmarked advanced weapons and delivery systems, and flight envelope expansion.
Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria confirmed in October, "We have started building the LCA fleet. We already have a squadron operational and five more will be inducted in the near future."
HAL's Light Combat Helicopter platform has achieved operational clearance for both IAF and the Army variants, and these have successfully completed all development milestones including weapons trials. HAL submitted a bid in March 2018 for a request for proposal for the supply of 15 limited series production helicopters and is awaiting orders for production deliveries/operational induction. Delivery of helicopters, according to HAL, can start within 12 months from the date of signing of the contract by the MoD. There is a projected requirement of more than 160 helicopters and follow-on orders are expected from both the Army and IAF upon completion of the initial lot of 15 production helicopters.
The single-engine, three-ton Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) platform is in the advanced stages of certification, having completed hot-weather trials at Nagpur in 2018, cold-weather trials at Leh in 2019, and sea trials at Chennai in 2018 and at Puducherry in 2019. The LUH is capable of flying at 220 kph, has a service ceiling of 6.5 km and a range of 350 km with a 500 kg payload. LUH demonstrated high-altitude capability in hot and high weather conditions in the Himalayas in trials from August 24 to September 2. Operational clearance is expected in the near future since all major developmental trials have been completed. There is a projected requirement of more than 180 helicopters.
HAL's new helicopter facility in Tumkur is being built on 615 acres. Part of the facility will include manufacture of 200 Kamov 226-T by the Rosoboronexport-Russian Helicopters and HAL joint venture Indo Russian Helicopter. The Ka-226T helicopters are to replace the four-decades-old Chetaks and Cheetahs of the Indian Army and IAF.
A long-term requirement for rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (RUAV) is being addressed by HAL, and a prototype was displayed at Aero India in Bengaluru in February. The 200 kg RUAV is being designed for ISR for the army and Indian navy, which requires 20 units. The RUAV has a service ceiling of 6,000 meters, hover ceiling of 5,000 meters, and a max payload of 40 kg. The two-blade RUAV can fly in fully autonomous mode, including auto takeoff and landing with a return-to-home recovery option.
Moving forward there has been confusion whether HAL will be permitted to join the Strategic Partnership (SP) program, which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, where Indian manufacturers can tie up with global original equipment manufacturers for technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. HAL says it will definitely participate if given the opportunity.
HAL Struggling with Labor Costs and Disputes